Opportunities for Agency in Offshore Wind Power in Skåne, Sweden

Sammanfattning: This thesis is a case study exploring opportunity spaces in path development for offshore wind power in Skåne, Sweden, from 2000 to March, 2023. By exploring interactions between policies and actors in the region, it contributes to path development literature with a more complex interpretation of agency in opportunity spaces for development. The thesis outlines how actors strategically adapt their approaches to align path development with their interests, highlighting the interplay between actors and policies in a sector characterized by conflicting interests. Qualitative thematic analysis of steering documents, market reports, and interviews with local and regional actors, reveals that actors in the offshore wind power sector in Skåne navigate a sea landscape of local and national interest conflicts, local environmental concerns, a lack of national awareness and control in a quickly developing market, and complex permit processes. The findings emphasize the multifaceted nature in interest conflicts and collaborations between wind power actors, and the significance of external factors such as the energy crisis in stagnant conflicts. The research deepens understandings of opportunity spaces by uncovering the mechanisms through which actors shape path trajectories, which provides knowledge valuable for policymakers and industry stakeholders to develop effective strategies for sustainable wind power development in Skåne.